in the heart, speech with the tongue, and action with the limbs.” This supports the position of Ahl al-Sunnah on faith and refutes the Murji’ah. Commenting on this hadith, Ibn al-Qayyim says:

“The truth leaves us no need for falsehood. Had we been among those who cite falsehood as evidence and consider doing so lawful, we would have promoted this hadith and mentioned some of those who praised ʿAbd al-Salām. But we seek refuge in Allah from this approach, just as we seek refuge in Him from the practice of declaring an established hadith weak and defective when it contradicts the view of a particular imam. And Allah grants success”1.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah have mercy on him—does not consider it permissible to cite weak hadiths as evidence, let alone the fabricated hadiths that the writer falsely accuses him of using as evidence. He—may Allah have mercy on him—says:

“It is not permissible to rely, in matters of the Sharia, on weak hadiths that are neither authentic nor good”2.

He also says:

“The hadiths narrated on this subject—namely, petitioning Allah by virtue of created beings themselves—are weak and unsound, indeed fabricated. None of the imams of Islam has cited them as evidence or relied upon them”3.

Concerning Israelite reports, he says:

“… As for establishing something as prescribed for us solely on the basis of Israelite reports that have not been authenticated, no scholar would advocate that”4.

I now return to the writer’s earlier statement about Shaykh al-Islam—may Allah have mercy on him:

“He affirms attributes for Allah, Glorified be He, on the basis of fabricated hadiths or Israelite reports. For example, he affirms that Allah speaks with a voice resembling thunder.”